Elderly Clustering and Welfare Needs Assessment in Khok Khinon Sub-district, Panthong District, Chon Buri Province

Abstract

     The objectives of this study were to categorize and study the welfare needs of the elderly and to compare the needs among the elderly groups in Khok Khinon Sub-district, Panthong District, Chon Buri Province, Thailand. Interviews with elderly people and with households were used as research instruments with 313 elderly being randomly selected. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, five clusters were identified and described as follows: Cluster A: 61 people considered as old (X̅  = 71 years) with good physical health, at risk of mental health, and full ability to perform self-care and family care. They were generally extroverted. Their families had the potential to take care of them moderately well to very well. Cluster B: 80 people considered as young (X̅  = 66 years) with very good physical and mental health and modest ability to perform self-care and family care. They were fairly extroverted. Their families had the potential to take care of them moderately well. Cluster C: 135 people (X̅  = 74 years) with adequate physical health, good mental health,and constrained ability to perform self-care and family care. They were introverted. Their families had the potential to take care of them moderately well. Cluster D: 30 people considered as old-old (X̅  = 75 years) with poor physical health, at risk of mental health, and restricted ability to perform self-care and family care. They were fairly extroverted. Their families had the potential to take care of them moderately to very well. Cluster E: 7 people considered oldest-old (X̅  = 82 years), totally dependent but with good mental health. They were introverted. Their families had the potential to take care of them moderately well. The research findings revealed that the most needed welfare was health care services, followed by social and economic services. Different clusters, based on applying one way ANOVA using Brown-Forsythe and Welch tests, expressed different levels of needs in all the aspects studied and overall. The study suggested that policy toward the elderly should focus on health care services in preparation for becoming elderly, being elderly and also for the elderly care providers.